27+ Sturdy Grape Vine Trellis Ideas for Your Backyard Arbor

Although they used to grow grapes without a trellis in the old days, I prefer my grapes on a dedicated grape vine trellis (also known as a grape arbor), especially when they’re getting started. However, I’ve recently run out of new ideas to make my backyard grape vine trellis designs fit in well with the landscape out there.

Grape vines can ramble a bit, or a lot, really, so things can get messy without a trellis. A trellis helps you grow your grape vine where you want it, and it can make it easier for your vines to stay healthy. It also makes for an edible work of art in your backyard.

I’ve collected a heap of grape vine trellis ideas in this article for inspiration and am excited to share them with you! I’ve only included proper, sturdy ones. I’m all for recycling and using existing materials, but a clothes rack just won’t cut it. Grapes can live for a really long time so you need something that’ll last a long time.

So, only tough, sturdy DIY trellis ideas made the cut today!

Backyard Grape Vine Trellis Ideas, DIYs, and Designs

Let’s look at some awesome backyard grape vine trellis ideas and designs to see what other people have built!

I’ll show you all my favorite DIY grape trellis tutorials and plans and tell you a little about the benefits and potential drawbacks of each one. I’ve also gone ahead and looked up the prices of all the materials it takes to make each type of trellis to give you a ballpark estimate of how much it’ll cost.

However, remember that you can use scrap materials and other structures you might already have in your backyard to make a sturdy grape vine trellis – as you’ll see in these ideas!

1. How to Build a Grape Trellis by Old Man Stino

Approximate Cost: $20 to $70 for a 50-ft long trellis with steel stakes every 10 ft (but you can save money by repurposing wire and stakes).

Skill Level: Absolute Beginner

This DIY backyard grape vine trellis design comes with a detailed tutorial on building a high-cordon grape trellis. Old Man Stino describes the high-cordon trellis as “the simplest to construct and maintain” – a win for all! Due to its simplicity, it’s also one of the most popular types of trellises for commercial operations.

You can build one of these trellises by securing one horizontal wire to two fence posts. Then, you place some posts in the middle to stop the vines from sagging.

I love these trellises because they are very efficient. While they are super cheap and simple to install, they are also non-constricting so your grape leaves will have plenty of air circulation. It’s also easy to harvest from these guys since you can feel around in the vines for hidden clusters of grapes.

This cheap trellis idea is perfect if you already have some fence posts somewhere in your backyard. If you do, all you need to get to make this work is some trellis wire, which is very cheap on Amazon.

You can add additional wires if you want to place some stakes in the ground to sure everything up if the stakes start to tilt.

2. Building a Backyard Grape Arbor by Our Stoney Acres

Approximate Cost: $200

Skill Level: Intermediate

This grape arbor cost about $200 to build, but the result is stunning! This tutorial for building your own grape arbor takes you through the process step-by-step, from post holes to adding lattice. It even includes a shopping list!

I’d love to have one of these to grow my grapes on. Maybe the husband’s up for a new project? Have a look at Our Stoney Acres for the full guide.

Stoney Acres also has a video of their finished arbor, complete with grapes:

3. DIY Grape Arbor by a Piece of Rainbow

Approximate Cost: $200

Skill Level: Intermediate

If you don’t have much outdoor space, an arbor or tall trellis arch like this one is the way to go. Plus, there’s something about growing grapes in the middle of the yard and being able to walk beneath them!

This arbor by A Piece of Rainbow is similar in shape to Our Stoney Acres’ arbor, which is one of my favorite shapes out of these grape trellis ideas.

However, this plan takes a bit less handiwork since the sides are made of angle-cut 2x4s. If you’re purchasing your wood fresh from the store, it is about as expensive, but you may be able to find wood somewhere for free or for a much smaller cost.

This plan has another great, in-depth tutorial with a list of all the lumber you’ll need to DIY this grape arbor idea.

While there is no video for this one, there are plenty of photos and step-by-step instructions.

4. Building a Simple Arbor by Weed ‘Em & Reap

Approximate Cost: $0 to $150

Skill Level: Beginner

I really like this backyard grape trellis. Yes, it’s simple, but it looks like a super sturdy trellis and would fit just about anywhere in your outdoor space.

I love the round wooden posts and the double support bars. Even when you aren’t growing grapes, structures like this are always handy for hanging laundry, cleaning saddles, storing stray buckets, or just having a nice seat with a cup of coffee.

DaNelle, who wrote this tutorial, also mentioned that she got her fenceposts for free on craigslist. That’s quite a steal!

It’s an entertaining tutorial as well, I highly recommend you read it! It’s over at Weed ’em & Reap.

5. Build Your Own Sturdy Grape Arbor

This sturdy wooden pergola is perfect for a DIY grape arbor in your backyard. Built with pressure-treated lumber for durability, this project can be completed in a weekend with basic carpentry skills.

The open framework is ideal for supporting grapevines, giving them plenty of room to climb and thrive. Materials cost around $200-$400, depending on wood prices and hardware choices.

6. Wood Entry Gate as Grape Trellis

Approximate cost: Varies – it’s free if you already have a gate somewhere

Skill Level: Beginner

Looking for functional trellis ideas that don’t require any work?

This super sturdy entry gate to our property was built by a man who was legendary at wielding a chainsaw. The support posts are huge and packed in with soil, not concrete. The horizontal supports are all cut into the posts with a chainsaw, and it was built from local hardwood.

Something like this would make an excellent grape arbor. Your fence doesn’t have to be as strong as mine, but you should be sure that your gate is very secure. Otherwise, you’ll have to lift up a huge grape vine every time you need to open your gate.

Still, a gate to a pasture or paddock would also work great. Just be sure those hinges are strong!

7. DIY Grape Arbor on a Budget

This homemade pergola is a fantastic, budget-friendly option for supporting grapevines. Made with simple, readily available materials like wooden posts and crossbeams, this structure can be assembled over a weekend with minimal tools. The materials for this project cost around $0-$200, depending on what you already have available, making it an affordable way to create a productive grape arbor.

8. DIY Grape Arbor by Homemade Food Junkie

Approximate Cost: Free to $75

Skill Level: Beginner

This backyard grape vine trellis design, made with upcycled materials free-of-cost, is super sturdy and practical.

Kayti and Diane from Homemade Food Junkie have an amazing, 60-year-old grape vine in their backyard. It was already supported by a grape arbor, as well as an old shop, but the old arbor needed replacing. They decided to write this tutorial to share how they built their DIY grape arbor.

Their grape vine is absolutely amazing, look at the size of its trunk! Their finished grape vine trellis was six feet tall by 25 feet wide, so it’s a lot bigger than it appears here.

9. DIY Grape Arbor and Gazebo by DIY Show Off

Approximate Cost: Varies

Skill Level: Beginner

This is not a step-by-step tutorial for building this exact grape arbor, but it shows you lots and lots of pictures of how they replaced their old, rusty arbor with a new one without breaking the existing grape vines.

I’ve included this grape arbor idea because it is my favorite shape of all. I really like the idea of the grapes growing over the top of a covered walkway. The walkway ends at a beautiful seating area – like a movie scene!

You can see all the photos at DIY Show Off.

10. Building a Vineyard Trellis by DIY Diva

Approximate Cost: Free to $100

Skill Level: Beginner, but only if you already have a post-hole digger

This grape vine trellis idea is by Kit, “Bridging the gap between woman and power-tool-wielding badass (farmer), one project at a time.” She has written a step-by-step tutorial to build a decent-sized grape vine trellis with some posts and trellis wire. It includes a shopping list and the tools you’ll need.

A tractor with a post-hole digger or even a manual post-hole digger would come in very handy for this grape trellis! Read the tutorial at DIYDiva.

We’ve got a small excavator that does most of the work around the homestead, but we sometimes borrow the neighbor’s tractor with a 3-point post-hole digger when serious hole digging needs to be done.

A digger is great for pretty much anything, but when used for post holes, it’s hard to get “just” a pole hole. You generally end up with a small pond instead.

Amazon has a huge range of post-hole diggers, from super manual to much-less manual.

11. How to Build a Grape Pergola by Popular Mechanics

Approximate cost: 300

Skill level: Advanced

Popular Mechanics has some incredible grape arbor ideas, but this one is by far the most unique of their backyard grape vine trellis designs.

This is a great tutorial on building a square pergola. It’s not specifically for growing grapes, but it would be perfect for it! I quite like the shape of it too, it would have enough room underneath for a chair or two.

This grape trellis idea is more expensive to build than the rest, but it is the largest and most elegant. So, if you’re willing to put the work in, this one might just be the most rewarding.

12. Easy DIY Grape Trellis for Your Backyard

This straightforward grape trellis is perfect for anyone wanting to support their grapevines without breaking the bank. Using just a few wooden posts and some wire mesh, you can create a sturdy structure that lets your vines climb and spread out.

This project is simple enough to complete over a weekend with basic tools. Materials cost around $100-$200, depending on what you already have on hand. It’s a practical and affordable way to grow delicious grapes right in your own backyard while adding a rustic charm to your garden space.

13. Quick and Easy Grape Arbor

This simple grape arbor is a quick and easy solution for your backyard garden. Made with just a few wooden posts and some leftover wire mesh, it’s a budget-friendly project that can be completed in an afternoon. Materials cost around $0-$50, making it an affordable way to start growing your own grapes.

14. DIY Rebar Grape Arbor by Zephyr Hill Farm

Approximate Cost: Free to $100

Skill Level: Absolute beginner

Looking for grape trellis ideas that don’t require wood? Try this one! It uses rebar instead!

It’s a similar design to the shade houses we built for our plant nursery. The difference is that we used 2″ poly water pipe instead of rebar. I love the idea of rebar, it’s super tough and long-lasting. You can see it built at Zephyr Hill Farm.

I wonder whether it may still need support in the middle once the grape vines get big (depending on the variety you choose, some of the Concords especially get huge and keep on gettin’ huger!) so the rebar doesn’t cave in.

If you worry about that, you might want to add a long rod of rebar down the center and secure it with some galvanized wire or permanent clamps before you train up your grapes.

Still, this plan allows you to build a BIG arbor very cheaply so you can start a whole lot of grape plants.

If you’re wondering who sells Concord grapes… you can get them on Amazon!

15. Handmade Wood Trellis for Grape Vines by Craft Yourself

Approximate cost: Free to $300

Skill Level: Intermediate

This backyard grape vine trellis design is so pretty! It’ll also provide a fruitful privacy screen when you place it against a neighbor’s yard, and you might even be able to share some grapes with them.

Unfortunately, Craft Yourself has since deleted their post. However, I decided to leave the photo here for inspiration. It looks like, for this plan, they used about four 4x4x6 posts, four angle-cut 4x4x4 posts, eight 4x4x3 posts, and four 2x4x20 beams. Not too shabby for the amount of space and coverage!

Plus, unlike the arbor designs we’ve already reviewed, this grape trellis idea is super simple to execute. Saving it for next year when my dad comes to stay – he’s a carpenter and would love to build this grape arbor!

16. Constructing a Vineyard Trellis by Paul Demoto

Approximate Cost: Varies

Skill Level: Beginner to intermediate

This is the most comprehensive grape trellis tutorial I’ve seen. It covers a few different methods of trellising with photos, information on materials and tools, and other helpful tips.

I really like the guide that this offers for anchoring high-cordon trellises. It will be very helpful if you choose the first tutorial on this list!

This presentation was written by Paul Demoto from the Department of Horticulture, Iowa State University for the Iowa Grape Growers Conference in 2002. I found this ultra-comprehensive PDF at Prairie Fire Winery.

17. Build a Trellis to Last a Lifetime – Instructables

Approximate Cost: Free to $100

Skill Level: Beginner

This T-shaped grape arbor is the perfect combination of strength, ease of construction, and cost.

While the material list in the tutorial is very thorough, it includes quite a few items that the author found as scrap materials. So, you may need to do some picking for ideal reinforcements or head to your local garden center before you can construct this beauty.

The tutorial, which you can find at Instructables, has great instructions on how to build it yourself.

18. Building A Grape Arbor by Tom Zabadal and Gaylord Brunke

Approximate Cost: $100 to $200

Skill Level: Intermediate

This is a super, super detailed tutorial on how to build a grape arbor by Tom Zabadal and Gaylord Brunke for Michigan State University.

This guide covers everything from posts to materials, placement, to tools. While this backyard grape vine trellis design includes some angle cuts and basic geometry, the guide is incredibly detailed and easy to follow. I highly recommend this grape arbor idea, if only for the clarity of the guide.

19. Cedar and Wire Grape Arbor by GrowingFruit.org

Love this sturdy grape eastern red cedar arbor by GrowingFruit.org! I can only hope my grape vines will look like this in a few years.

These posts are made of eastern redcedar, one of my favorite trees. The beautiful pinkish-red wood is naturally rot-resistant, which means that these posts will last quite a while. However, you can consider using other woods such as oak, black walnut, or cypress wood if you don’t have access to red cedar.

The tops of this trellis are made with a wooden frame, but you can also use metal on these if you have some scrap fencing laying around. You can also consider using the posts and some wire for a high-cordon type of trellis.

20. Relaxing Grape Arbor Retreat

This grape arbor doubles as a peaceful retreat in your garden. Built with sturdy wooden beams and a cozy bench underneath, it provides the perfect spot to relax while your grapevines flourish above. The lush vines offer natural shade, making it an ideal place to escape the summer sun. This project can be completed over a weekend, and materials cost around $200-$400.

21. Build a Classic Grape Arbor

This classic grape arbor is perfect for any backyard. Using robust wooden posts and simple crossbeams, it provides strong support for your grapevines to thrive. The structure not only helps in growing healthy grapes but also creates a lovely shaded area in your garden. The project can be done over a weekend with basic tools, costing around $150-$250.

How to Train a Grape on a Trellis

I’m by no means an expert on training grapes. I’m more of a wild gardener. I never seem to prune anything except for when I feel like it, and nothing really gets trained unless it blocks a door or a gate or something…

However… I also don’t get a huge amount of grapes so I’ve been looking for a good resource for training and pruning grapes.

I’ve found a fantastic one by Utah State University. There’s one image below, but that’s just one bit of information on training and spur pruning. There’s a whole PDF on grape trellising and training basics!

This tutorial is full of great info and you can find it here: Grape trellising and training basics – Utah State

They also offer info on Grape Vine Management, Grape Varieties, and Grape Irrigation.

My Grape Vine Trellis Ideas and Designs

Below are a couple of photos of my (amazing, *grin*) different types of trellises. They may not be revolutionary or elegant, but they do make use of what’s already there in some interesting ways.

22. Chicken Coop Grape Trellis

This is grape vine #1, also known as Grape Blanc. Not because it’s white but because the tag has a blank label where it should specify the name… It’s a red grape, that much I remember.

You probably can’t see the grape itself very well, but it’s next to the ratty bit of shade cloth and the mature vines will grow up the metal fence. If it does well enough, I’ll also train some of it over the chicken coop.

Chicken coops are the perfect structures for a DIY trellis. Free food for chickens!

The chickens don’t look too impressed yet, but that could be because it’s the rainy season and everything is soaking wet. I need to fill their coop with some extra soil or gravel to build it up so that the water doesn’t hang around.

*Edit: I’ve fixed the floor since then! A couple of wheelbarrows of gravel and a border of river rocks have fixed the issue. I also dug a trench so the water runs out freely. I’ve planted betel leaf, arrowroot, lotodonis, and water spinach around the edge to soak up whatever comes out.

Read More – Can Chickens Eat Grapes? What About Grape Leaves or Vines?

23. Chain Link Grapevine Trellis

Here’s grape #2. This grape does indeed have a name, and it is… Jumbo!

As you can see, I’m not super inventive with my grapevine trellises, which is why I’m writing this post, really – to find some great grapevine trellis designs from around the web.

Jumbo is a Muscadine grape, like this one. These guys bear big fruits and give you a big harvest!

24. Tree Trellis

Another one of my grape vine trellis ideas is to grow grapes up already-existing trees. This idea comes from the “backyard jungle” idea I love.

It’s based on a wild food forest, inspired by Jackie French’s Backyard Self-Sufficiency book. I adore this book. It is focused on Australia, so won’t be much use if you live in the snowy states, but if you live in a warm state, it’s absolutely fantastic!

In a wild food forest, you make use of every space you’ve got, grow things up things and under things and in between things, too.

I’ve got a huge fig in the backyard that would make a perfect food forest grape trellis:

I’m already growing some things up it, on one side only because the kids climb it from the other side (so I suppose spikey Dragon Fruit is out) but this tree is at least 4 feet across, so there’s plenty of room.

You can buy some pretty spectacular grape arbors online, look at these ones! But, there’s something about building your own, I think.

Our Favorite Grape Trellis and Arbor Kits

While many of the grape vine trellis ideas we’ve discussed are very affordable and make use of scraps you might already have, some of the trellises’ material lists get quite pricey.

In some cases, making a DIY trellis is more expensive than just purchasing one!

So, if you want to compare prices and take a look at some of our top picks, here we go:

Our Favorite Grape Plants

Lastly, there’s no point in a grape arbor if you have no grape plants!

There are tons of types of grapes to choose from, but we have a few favorites that we would love to share with you.

These are four of our go-to varieties of grape plants:

Final Thoughts:

I hope you’ve enjoyed these 15 sturdy backyard grape vine trellis ideas!

Time to show me yours now. What’s your grape trellis or grape arbor like? Do you have any tips or tricks for creative places to grow grape vines in your backyard garden? We’re all ears!

More Reading:

• Can Chickens Eat Grapes? What About Grape Leaves or Vines?
• Can You Eat Bay Leaves + 14 Others – Your Edible Leaves Guide [Part 1]
• Layers of a Permaculture Food Forest Part 5: Climbing Plants
• 71 Practical Homesteading Skills and Ideas You Can Learn Today
• When to Harvest Tomatoes [The Best Time to Pick 11+ Varieties!]

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